Article 340 Of The Indian Constitution

Article 340 of the Indian Constitution mentions about the President’s powers to appoint a commission to investigate the conditions of backward classes.

Let us have a closer look at Article 340 of the Indian Constitution for a better understanding of the same.

Article 340 Of The Indian Constitution – Elaborated

Article 340 of the Indian Constitution states that:

1. The President may by order appoint a Commission made up of those individuals he deems appropriate to
   • Investigate the conditions of socially and educationally underprivileged classes within the territory of the Union of India and the challenges they face, and
   • Make recommendations regarding;
     • Actions that should be taken by the Union or any State to overcome the challenges faced by them on the criteria of backwardness and improve their condition, and
     • Grants that should be made for the purpose by the Union or any State according to the determinant of backwardness.
2. A Commission that has been thus appointed must look into the matters that have been presented to them and provide a report to the President, outlining the facts as discovered and including any suggestions they deem appropriate.
3. The President will have a copy of the report that has been submitted, along with a document outlining the response, laid before each House of Parliament of the Union of India.

This special provision was in reference to providing the constitutional reservations to members of the backward classes of the Union of India.

The commission mentioned in this article would’ve provided the concerned report keeping in mind different criteria of backwardness like social, educational, financial, etc.

The role of such a commission was to act as a determinant of backwardness in the Indian society & hence allocate the benefits of reservation to the needy.

Article 340 Of The Indian Constitution – A Brief Timeline

• The Constituent Assembly revised and implemented the then-Draft Article 301 on June 16, 1949 (present Article 340).
• The President of India established a five-person commission in 2017 to study the issue of Other Backward Classes’ sub-categorisation (OBC).

Summary

According to Article 340 of the Indian Constitution, it is important to recognise those “socially and educationally backward classes,” comprehend the causes & criteria of backwardness, and offer solutions to ease their problems.

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FAQs Around Article 340 Of The Indian Constitution